Aloha 8.5 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 8.5's hull is solid hand-laid fiberglass molded in two port and starboard halves, bolted together with the centerline sealed and glassed over, after which lead ballast is lowered into the keel cavity and encapsulated. A shallow swept-back fin keel gives gunkholing possibilities, while a stout skeg supports the transom-hung rudder and protects its leading edge from grounding damage. The deck is a balsa-cored fiberglass sandwich with plywood reinforcement at stress points, and the hull-to-deck joint is chemically bonded and through-bolted with an aluminum toerail. Chainplates sit outboard on solid mahogany knees glassed to the hull, and the mast, chainplates, and backstay are all grounded for lightning protection.

Above the waterline the boat shows classic curving lines distinct from the racer-influenced Aloha 8.2, with a strong-spring sheer, straight stem with a pronounced chin, and upright transom. A cambered cabintop with a step at the mast lowers forward cabin height to avoid a boxy profile, while teak eyebrow trim and a wide cove stripe soften the look. Ouyang milled its own lumber and matched teak per boat, and reviewers judged the overall workmanship above average.

Rig and Handling

Rigged as a masthead sloop, the 8.5 carries a deck-stepped aluminum mast with a single set of airfoil spreaders, supported by cap shrouds, dual lowers, headstay, and split backstay. Internal halyards and reefing lines lead aft to cabintop winches, and the mainsheet runs from boom end to a transom traveler. The boom extends only midway into the cockpit, keeping the sheet clear but making trim awkward for anyone but the helmsman.

On the water, the skeg improves tracking and ease of steering, and owners report the boat very stable with a dry cockpit in a blow. One owner with wheel steering described her as sailing by herself and steering better than a car, and period testers found the 1980 test boat well balanced and easy for two to handle in light wind. A PHRF rating of 189 seconds per mile places her fairly among moderate cruisers.

Accommodations

Below, the 8.5 uses her wide waterline beam and curving underbody to deliver real volume. The saloon has facing settee berths 6 feet 3 inches long, the port one converting to a pullout double for five berths total, with louvered teak locker doors above and fiddled shelves. A bulkhead table to port folds down to reveal a shallow spirits cabinet. The forecabin V-berth measures 6 feet 2 inches with generous forward-end width, outboard lockers, and bin stowage.

The head is a molded fiberglass unit trimmed in teak to port, with a manual sink and no shower; opposite sit a hanging locker and bins. The U-shaped galley spans the companionway aft, with an alcohol or kerosene cooktop inboard enough to leave a dry locker, a shallow stainless sink, and a large icebox draining to the sink by hand pump. Reviewers noted above-average counter and stowage for the size, though the icebox lids fit poorly and lacked counter insulation.

Known Issues

Several finish and detail shortcomings recur in the record. Locker interiors were often rough fiberglass that could snag clothing or skin, and the pullout double berth required three screwed-in furniture legs and showed joinery below the boat's usual standard. On the test yacht the V-berth area was wet from rough fiberglass and gaps between anchor well and side lockers, though the dealer attributed that to an isolated incident. The balsa-cored deck is prone to delamination, a serious defect if extensive, and the icebox needs added insulation to perform. Water tanks were noted loose in their mounts, and the shallow sink and limited stove gimbal travel drew comment.

Refits and Ownership

Engine access is a relative strength, with removable cockpit-locker side panels and companionway-ladder panels exposing the Vire or optional Universal and Westerbeke diesels; earlier units were raw-water-cooled, later ones freshwater. Most boats came with tiller steering through a transom slot, wheel as option. Standard kit included two batteries, six-breaker panel, shore power, and aluminum tanks. A partial fiberglass pan adds structure, and the teak-and-holly sole with oiled teak joinery makes a positive impression worth preserving.

The Verdict

The Aloha 8.5 is a thoughtfully laid-out small cruiser with graceful Brewer-Walstrom lines, a secure skeg-rudder hull, and an interior that punches above its 28 feet for volume and stowage. Her weaknesses are concentrated in finish detail and a few engineering compromises—rough lockers, a fussy pullout berth, balsa-deck delamination risk, and a poorly insulated icebox—that a careful buyer can assess and remedy.

Pros